Elijah

June 14

1 Kings 17:17-24

A mother sees God’s power

The widow and her son now had enough food for themselves and for Elijah. God was taking care of them in a special way. One day, the son of the widow became very ill. He got worse and worse, and finally died. The widow said to Elijah, “Did you come here to remind God of my sin and cause my son to die?”

“Give me the boy,” Elijah said. He took the boy upstairs and laid him on his bed. He asked the Lord why He had done this to the widow who had been so kind to him. Then he prayed, “Lord, bring this child back to life again.”

So the Lord answered Elijah’s prayer and the boy started breathing again! Then Elijah took the boy downstairs to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

Where do small children go when they die?

It is especially sad when a baby or a young child dies. It seems as if he or she has missed out and didn’t get the chance to live life fully. Death is very sad for those left behind. We miss the joy of showing our love and care, and we miss the closeness of that special relationship. Happy relationships bring joy to our lives, and when someone is taken from us, it feels as though a chunk has been ripped from inside us.

Although life feels like a very long journey, we are actually on earth for just a short while compared to the time we’ll be together in Heaven. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” Matthew 19:14. All those who have a heart (an attitude) like a child will go to Heaven to be with their Heavenly Father, and Jesus will be there to welcome them and spend time with each one as He did on earth (Mark 10:16).

Verse for today

By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 1 Corinthians 6:14